Upadhyay's death: 7 arrested, search intensifies for Independent Councillor

Kolkata: Police have intensified their search for the Independent Councillor of Bhadreswar municipality, Raju Sahu, after the arrest of seven persons from Benaras in connection with the murder of the municipality's chairman Manoj Upadhyay.

Upadhyay was shot dead from point blank range when he was returning home late at night on November 21.

The day Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had taken up the case, officers of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Chandannagar Commissionerate got the success of arresting the accused. Police arrested Raju Chowdhury, Ratan Chowdhury, Krishna Chowdhury, Akash Chowdhury, Rajesh Chowdhury, Santosh Prasad and Debu Pakre from Benaras. Total eight persons have been arrested so far.

Earlier, the police had arrested Munna Rai in this connection.

According to a senior police officer, it was the dearth of money that led to their arrest after escaping for seven days.

The police could

identify their location in Benaras as one of the accused contacted his family members using a different mobile phone number.

They conducted a raid along with the local police at a lodge where they had been staying for the past few days and arrested all seven of them.

Investigation revealed that they had fled from the areas soon after the incident took place. First, they went to Bihar where they spent two days before moving to Uttar Pradesh.

The accused will be brought to the city in transit remand. A police officer said that they will be interrogated to ascertain the exact motive behind the crime.

It may be mentioned that police have come to know about the accused after questioning Chintu De on whose motorbike the victim was riding pillion and had witnessed the incident.

Police feel that the seven arrested are well aware about the absconding independent councilor.

They suspect that a few others are also involved in the crime and the arrested ones can provide information on them as well.

It may be mentioned that senior Trinamool Congress leaders including MP Abhishek Banerjee had assured that immediate steps would be taken to arrest the accused.

Locals, too, held candle light protests against the murder and demanded the arrest of the accused.

They appreciated the police for arresting seven persons from Benaras in this connection.

Now, they demand the arrest of Raju Sahu as early as possible.